Headed Home
by CPDRuzekFan
Summary: A sequel to Dysfunctional Family. Adam struggles with letting Deacon go. Burzek
1. Chapter 1

"Aunt Kim!" Deacon shouted as soon as he stepped inside, he had his soccer bag slung over his shoulder and a ball under his arm, "We're home."

He tossed the bag on the table and buried his head in the fridge, Kim smiled at the scene before her, his head was always buried in the fridge and it was a sight that would never grow old.

She had a hunch his days with them were numbered, he had lived with Adam for the last four years and she had lived with them both for just over two years now, they were closing in on their second wedding anniversary.

"How was practice?"Kim smiled when he finally pulled his head from the fridge, a sports drink and a bushel of green grapes.

"Good." Deacon tossed a few grapes in his mouth, "I'm the captain for the tournament this weekend." He was grinning from ear to ear, "isn't that the coolest?"

"It is." Kim plucked a few grapes from the vine, "Where's Uncle Adam?"

"The garage." Deacon replied, "He found a scratch on his truck..I think he's crying." He teased, Adam was ridiculous when it came to his truck.

Adam was a bit neurotic when it came to the truck, he was constantly examining it for scratches and dings. Heaven forbid he found one, they'd hear about it for days and he'd go on and on about it and Kim enjoyed busting his chops over it.

"Oh boy.." Kim laughed, "did it happen at practice?"

Deacon shrugged, "Don't know. He parked super far away from the field, it took forever to get the field once he parked." He shrugged, "Coach made me run laps, cause we were late, it's cause Uncle Adam parked a thousand miles away.."

"It wasn't a thousand miles Deacon and it obviously wasn't far enough" Adam came through the back door, because it did no good, the driver's side door has a chunk of paint missing." He sighed, "My poor truck."

Kim rolled her eyes at him, "Deacon buddy, you need to get ready. You've got a visit with your mom tonight." She tousled his hair a bit before she leaned down to kiss the top of his head, "You're stinky." She caught the look of disdain that flashed across Adam's face.

This was point of contention for her and Adam, they didn't see eye to eye on this one. The visitations had been going on for about a year now and Adam still hated them, and he made sure Mia knew it too.

"I practiced hard, Aunt Kim. That's why I smell. It's a good thing, that's what coach says. If we don't stink that means we didn't play hard."

"You must've played really hard." Kim laughed, "Now hurry up and get ready."

"Okay" Deacon threw his arms around her waist giving her a big squeeze before taking off for the shower.

Kim could feel the tension radiating off Adam as he leaned against the counter, "Adam.."

"Kim..." he bit back, it was clear he was pissed off.

"Adam, I know you hate the visits, but they're happening and they'll continue to happen and you and I both know what the ultimate goal is. Deacon will go live with Mia, she's his mother."

"No shit, Kim. You think I don't know that?" Adam spoke in a low growl, through his teeth, "It's going to kill me to let him go. I've got to send him back to that fucking junkie..."

Kim held her hand up to silence him, "First off, keep your voice down. Deacon doesn't need to hear you. She's in recovery Adam, she's been sober for almost four years. She's done all that's been asked of her. She deserves a second chance."

Adam shoved his hands in his pockets, "At Deacon's expense? What if she fucks up again? Huh? She'll break his heart!"

Kim felt herself softening towards him, she felt for him. The fear in his eyes tugged in her heart strings. She adored this man, she loved every fiber of his being. He could drive her up the fucking wall but he was her everything. He was amazing with children, Deacon was proof of that. Four years ago he had sacrificed everything for that little boy and he was afraid of losing him.

She hated it too, but it was the next step.

Deacon was going to leave them, he was going to be reunited with Mia.

"We need to have faith, baby. Faith in Mia. We will watch her like a hawk, I promise you that. You can't hold her past against her forever Adam, she's come a long way. She's sober. She has a job, a nice apartment. She's doing all she can to get her son back. I won't let you stand in the way of that Adam. I know this is hard, I can't even allow myself to imagine this house with out Deacon. I love that boy so much, I love him enough to let him go. He wants this Adam, he wants this so much."

"I don't." Adam huffed.

Kim smiled warmly at him, "I know. I don't either. Not really. He's the center of our universe.."

"Nope. That's me." Adam smirked, "This fucking hurts Kim. Knowing he's going to be leaving us soon."

"You wish." Kim placed her hands on his hips, "Let's make every day with Deacon count, okay?" She turned him around and guided him towards their bedroom, "You need to shower as well..you're stinky too."

"I love you." Adam turned to face her, "so much" he moved in to kiss her.

Kim pulled her head back almost repulsed at the thought of kissing him, "Adam you're ripe. It's nasty."

"No kiss?" Adam poured, "You kissed Deacon..and he stunk to high heaven."

"Yes, I did. It's cause I love him more than you." She placed her hands on his chest.

"Ouch" Adam laughed, "I see how it is."


	2. Chapter 2

Adam placed his hands on the countertop, his knuckles white as he gripped the edge of the counter.

Mia had arrived.

He had more than just a few reservations over this arrangement, the first being that Mia was allowed to drive with Deacon in the car. She was subjected to random drug tests and while she passed every single one, that didn't put Adam's mind at ease. He knew all too well that it didn't matter how many she had passed she was an addict and all it took was one time, one drink, one pill, one hit and she could bring Deacon down with her.

Deacon had come into his own since he'd been living with Adam and Kim. He had become a very diligent student, Adam had Kim to thank for that. She was the one who helped him with his homework, even in those early days before they had gotten back together. She was there for Deacon, more than his mother ever was. Kim saw to it that he did his schoolwork, that he behaved in class and that he understood the material. Aside from Adam, Kim had been Deacon's biggest cheerleader. She celebrated every success and she held him through his failures and encouraged him to try again.

Kim never let Deacon down.

In his previous school Deacon was barely keeping his head above water and now he was consistently on the honor roll and Adam and Kim couldn't be prouder. His teachers loved him, the kid had made the all star soccer team and had a really good group of buddies.

Adam feared that it could all come crashing down, that one fuck up by Mia and Deacon would collapse like a house of cards.

It annoyed him to no end that the judge didn't seem to care about that, the judge was all about reunification of mother and child. That pissed him off, it didn't seem to matter that being with Adam and Kim had helped Deacon in so many ways, nope none of that mattered. All that seemed to matter was that Mia was doing what the court had asked of her, didn't matter how Deacon was doing.

Kim peeked into the kitchen and wasn't surprised to see a very tense and rigid Adam, she sighed and decided to deal with him later. She hated what this was doing to him, she knew he had many sleepless nights over the last few months and it was worse on the weekends Deacon slept at Mia's house. It was why they had given Deacon a cell phone as an early birthday present, Deacon would send Adam a good night text and it put Adam's mind at ease, enough for him to sleep anyway. He worried constantly, he wasn't pleasant company those weekends. Deacon would spend Friday nights at Mia's and they'd pick him up on a Saturday morning.

Deacon would go on and on about how much fun he had with his mother and how he couldn't wait to be able to live with her again. Kim looked on as Adam gripped the steering wheel a bit tighter and his jaw locked. He'd nod his head every so often to let Deacon know he was listening but he rarely said much. His usual response was _'that's cool'_ or _'sounds fun'_ it was forced and it was a lie. Deacon was oblivious to Adam's discomfort, Kim was grateful for that. Despite it all Mia was still Deacon's mother and he loved and adored her, she would not allow Adam to badmouth Mia in Deacon's presence.

Not that she needed to, Adam always waited until Deacon was in bed before he'd utter a word, Kim often caught the brunt of it. He'd rant and rave for awhile, get it all of his chest and then he would segue into his fear of losing Deacon. It often broke Kim's heart, she'd see the unshed tears in his eyes, she knew the day Deacon returned to his mother's care, would break Adam's heart and hers.

Mia rocked on her heels as she waited for someone to come to the door, standing on that doorstep never got easy nor did it feel right.

She had battled her demons and won now she wanted her son back with her, where he belonged. Her stomach was always a nervous mess on visit days, once she had her boy in her arms the nerves settled some. She was terrified of slipping up, she couldn't lose her little boy again. She had to chuckle at that, her little boy wasn't so little anymore.

In the four years since this nightmare had started Deacon had evolved from a little boy who was quick to cower to this preteen who was all limbs and full of life. He no longer cowered in a corner, he was loud and silly. He was always trying to make everyone around him laugh, he was the light of her life. He was her heart and her reason for living.

She knew she couldn't slip up, she wouldn't slip up. She'd remain sober for Deacon, but more importantly for herself. She had learned that Deacon couldn't be her sole reason for sobriety, she needed to remain sober for herself, she had to do it for herself if she had any hopes of remaining sober. Only then could she be the mother Deacon needed, the mother he deserved.

Kim pulled the door open, "Mia, hi. Come on in. Deacon is just packing his bag. He had a late soccer practice."

Mia wrung her hands together, "That boy loves soccer." Conversation with Kim wasn't easy but it was no where near as hard as conversations with Adam. He was cold and stand offish, a scowl was plastered on his face whenever he looked at her.

She couldn't blame him, not really. She had turned his world upside down that day she stood on his doorstep. She had tracked him down and reached out to him, he was her last resort.

She had such vague memories of him from when she was little, had she not had that small faded and tattered photograph of the two of them she may not have remembered him at all. It was the one thing she had carried with her through the foster care system and group home. It was her last link to a happier time, a time when her mother was still alive.

Everything had gone to shit when her mother died.

She and Adam both looked so happy in that photo, she sat perched on his lap her mother sat behind them both, she could only assume it was their father who had taken the photo. He had the balls to visit her not long after she was sent to prison, she told him to fuck off and just as she expected her father had left and never looked back.

She knew from conversations with Deacon that Bob was fairly active in his grandson's life and Deacon seemed to really like him. She bit her tongue and allowed Deacon to have a relationship with his grandfather, she wouldn't take him from her son. She wanted nothing to do with the man who had walked out of her life so long ago.

Mia loved their home, it was a beautiful house with a huge backyard with a swimming pool and basketball hoop. She had heard all about Deacon's room and the huge television mounted on the wall but she had never stepped foot in it. In fact she'd never left the living room.

"It's always soccer with that kid." Kim replied, "He's always kicking a ball or carrying it around." She heard the familiar footfalls as they came charging down the hallway. "ah, here he is." She laughed.

"Mom!" Deacon wrapped his arms around her, his overnight bag slung over his shoulder, "I missed you."

She ran her hands through his still wet hair, "I missed you too baby. Are you ready?"

"Yep. Bye Aunt Kim" Deacon released his mother to hug Kim, "I love you."

Kim kissed his head, "I love you too, be good. You should go tell Uncle Adam bye. He's in the kitchen."

"Okay."

Mia waited until Deacon was out of earshot, "Adam hates me..doesn't he?"

"No." Kim shrugged, "He doesn't hate you..this isn't easy for him." She could see Mia was about to respond and she held her hand up to stop her, "It's not easy for you either or me, it's hardest on Deacon. We are all doing the best we can, Adam included. He loves Deacon as if he was his own, and he knows he's going to have to let him go. He's terrified."

Kim felt that familiar bubble of emotion, anytime she talked about Deacon leaving them it tore through her, she did her best to force it from her mind. It was impossible though, Deacon would be leaving them and it hurt. It was hard to imagine their home without him, he was the reason they bought the house.

He filled their home with love and laughter, sure he would visit all the time and have numerous sleep overs but it wasn't the same.

She flicked a tear away, "My husband has devoted the last four years of his life to that little boy, the little boy you were unable to care for. My husband stepped up, so forgive him for not being excited to see you." It was hard to keep her anger at bay some times, seeing Adam so upset had fueled her anger a bit. "I try really hard to see things from your perspective but Adam..Adam's hurting and that hurts me, more than you'll ever know."

Mia looked at the palm of her hand, "I don't know what to say" she was truly at a loss for words. Didn't Kim understand that this was hard for her as well, "I know. I'm not proud of what I did, but I deserve my son. I will forever be indebted to Adam and you for stepping up and taking care of my son."

"You don't need to be _indebted_ to us. He's family, he's Adam's nephew. We take care of our own." She folded her arms across her chest, "I will tell you this though, if you fall off the wagon..if you so much as have a sip of wine or even think about getting high..I will be on you like stink on shit..and if you hurt that little boy..I will break your legs. I can be sweet as pie, but the second you hurt my husband or Deacon, that's gone. I will be your worst nightmare..do you understand me?"

Mia nodded, "I do."

"Good. We have an understanding then. Excuse me, I will go see what's taking Deacon." Kim excused herself.

She never intended to go off on her, in fact she had hoped to never show Mia that side of herself she preferred to keep what Adam referred to as her _badass_ side under wraps.

"I love you buddy" Adam had his hand on Deacon's cheek, "Get a good night's sleep tonight, make sure to drink plenty of water as well. You've got a full weekend of games, you need to be at your best." He was surprised at how quickly he had fallen in love with soccer, seeing Deacon happy and loving the game made it easy.

"Okay." Deacon smiled, "I will. Can I call you...you know if I can't sleep" He stammered a bit, "if I have a nightmare.."

Adam nodded, "Absolutely. Any time, no matter what." He responded, "You know I'm always here for you." The nightmares still plagued Deacon even four years later and while they weren't nearly as frequent as they had been in the beginning they tended to hit him when he was spending the night with his mother.

"I love you." Deacon hugged him, "Bye"

"I love you too" Adam smiled, "Be good."

"I will walk you out." Kim rubbed Adam's back as she followed Deacon into the living room.

"All set?" Mia jumped up from the couch.

"Yep. Let's go. Can we get pizza?" Deacon asked.

"Of course."

Kim stood in the doorway, "Don't forget to brush your teeth, Okay? We will see you in the morning. Have fun." She stood rooted in place watching as Mia backed out of the driveway, taking a large chunk of her heart with her as she drove off.

Kim sat on the arm of the couch, "You okay?"

Adam twisted the wedding band on his finger, "Yeah..." he sighed as he leaned back against her, "No. I don't know."

Kim ran her hand through his hair, "It's hard, isn't it?"

"Yeah"

"How about we go out. Just you and me. Just us. I think we deserve a night out." It had been a long time since they had gone out alone, if it wasn't Deacon with them it was Kevin and Jay.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!" Kim replied, "Maybe grab dinner and a movie. If you play your cards right I will let you make out with me in the back of the theater." She teased.

"Make out huh? That's it?" Adam pulled her into his lap, "I don't know..."

Kim laughed as he tickled her sides, "I could surprise you."

Adam was still laughing as he pushed open the front door, it had been an amazing night. It was exactly what he needed, and he was more than a bit surprised that their heavy make out session had turned into sex in the nearly empty theatre.

Kim tossed her purse on the table, "My god Adam..I can't believe we did that. Do you know how many laws we broke..oh my god" she brought her hand to cover her mouth, "could you imagine the fallout if someone had caught us and called the cops?"

Adam was enjoying her little rant, "Darlin' I think we were the only ones left at that point, the movie sucked and we didn't get caught."

"Never again Adam. Never again."

"I do recall you're the one who climbed in my lap and unbuttoned my jeans and it was you who put her hands in my boxers. It was also you who hiked up your dress I might add. You left me with no choice, I had to fuck you."

Kim scowled at him, "You're crude sometimes, do you know that? You could've said no..." She waved her hand around, laughing when he smirked at her, "Yes I know. It was..."

"Amazing?" Adam offered. "Baby, you know you love it when I'm crude."

"Yes. It was amazing. Mind blowing in fact, but it will not happen again. I promise you that." Kim stepped out of her shoes and set them in the closet, "I'm exhausted and we've got soccer all day tomorrow."

"Indeed we do. I'm just gonna call Deacon. I'll be up in a minute."

"Don't call him now, Adam it's late. He will call if he needs you, let him sleep." Kim explained, "Come to bed..with me..now."

Adam took her outstretched hand in his, "Don't beg, it's not an attractive trait."

Deacon wiped the sweat from his brow and reached out in the dark for the small lamp beside his bed, with one touch his room was bathed in light. It had happened again, the nightmare had returned. It was always the same, he would wake up in a cold sweat with his heart racing.

The dream never changed, he was always alone in his old house. The doors and windows locked and the entire house dark, he'd scream for his mom and she would never come.

He grabbed his back pack and fished his phone out of it.

"Ruzek" Adam grumbled, still half asleep.

"It's me. I'm scared. I had that nightmare again." Deacon whispered into the phone. "I woke you up..didn't I? I'm sorry."

Adam was wide awake now, he kicked the covers off and went out into the hallway, "Hey man. It's okay. You're okay. Remember, it's just a bad dream. You're safe. Can you count for me? Take slow deep breaths buds. Ready? We can do it together."

It was a coping mechanism one of Deacon's counselors had recommend and it had worked wonders, usually by the time they had hit ten Deacon was calm and breathing normally.

Deacon did as he was instructed, his breathing started to return to normal and the fear in his voice had abated.

"You good?" Adam asked.

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Don't be. Don't ever be sorry pal. I'm here for you. Never forget that, do you want to talk some more?"

Deacon shook his head, forgetting momentarily that Adam couldn't see him, "I think I can go back to sleep now. I'm not scared anymore."

"Good. Sleep tight buddy. I'm gonna keep my phone in my hand, just call me if you're feeling scared again."

"I will. Thanks Uncle Adam, I love you."

"I love you to kid. So very much."

Kim grabbed Adam's discarded shirt from the floor and slipped it on, she had heard the phone ring and knew it had to of been Deacon.

She found Adam sitting in their darkened living room, "Adam, honey. Is everything okay? Was it Deacon?"

Adam opened his arms so she could sit in his lap, "He had a nightmare."

Kim kissed his temple, her hand tangled in his hair, "I hate that. Did you help him settle down?"

"Think so. He said he was ready to go back to bed." Adam closed his eyes and buried his face in the crook of Kim's neck.

Kim wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. "I know baby, I know. This isn't easy is it. Adam, I'm so proud of you. You've been amazing for Deacon, that boy absolutely adores you. That won't change. Regardless of where he lives, he will always love you. You're his anchor."

"I hate it." Adam mumbled, "I hate that we have to let him go."

She could feel his tears as they splashed on her neck, "So do I. He wants this so much, he wants to be with his mom. I can't be selfish Adam, if Mia is capable of taking care of him, we have to let him go."

Adam sighed, "I don't want him to go, I would fight it if Deacon didn't want this. If he wanted to stay I'd fight her tooth and nail. I love him as if he was my son."

Kim brushed the tears from her eyes, "Me too." She smiled a bit, "I think you're an amazing man and uncle and I think you're going to be an amazing daddy one day."

Adam kissed her on the mouth quickly, "I think we should practice our baby making game.."

Kim laughed, "Of course you do." She was happy to see the twinkle in his eye. "I love you Adam."

Adam grabbed two coffees from the concession stand and made his way to the bleachers.

"Coffee my dear" Adam handed it to Kim as he sat down, "How's our boy?"

Kim pointed to the field, "He's so proud of that armband" he proudly wore the yellow band signifying him as 'captain', "Game should start soon. The referee just showed up."

The game hadn't been more that twenty minutes old when he spotted her across the field.


	3. Chapter 3

"What the fuck is she doing here?" Adam jumped up and headed towards her.

Mia was prepared for the verbal beating she knew was coming her way, Adam was clearly pissed off.

"Adam, calm down." Kim tugged on his wrist, his hand curled into a fist at his side, "Don't make a scene."

Adam stopped on a dime, "Excuse me?" He was flabbergasted, "What the fuck Kim?" He was livid and it didn't help that his wife had told him to calm down, "She's not supposed to be here, she knows that.

"Yes. I know." Kim was just as miffed as he was but she knew blowing up at her wouldn't help anyone least of all Deacon. "She's here and we need to let her be and we will deal with it later. You need to calm down, Adam. You can't go off on her not here and not now. Go back and sit down. I will handle Mia."

Adam's shoulders sagged and Kim knew she had gotten through to him, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Go sit down. I will be right back."

Mia was relieved when Adam spun on his heels and went back and sat down on the bleachers, "Hello Kim."

Kim smiled tightly, "Hello. You know you're not supposed to be here, correct?" Kim watched as Mia nodded her head, "yet you're here." She had her hands on her hips, "As is Deacon and he's already spotted you. I'm not going to hurt that boy by sending you home, but know that I'm furious as is Adam. Your visitations are limited and mandated by the court, this isn't an approved visit. I will be contacting our case worker, this is unacceptable."

"I know..it's just..." Mia started to explain herself.

"No. I don't want to hear it. Steer clear of Adam. You can watch the game, you can see Deacon when it's over but then you're gone."

"Fine." Mia replied, "He's still my son, don't you forget that. I know I did horrible things, that I was a horrible mother. I've changed. I just want to watch my son play soccer..is that so bad?"

"No its not" Kim countered, "There was a right way to do it though, just showing up here was not it."

"It was impulsive. I saw the schedule last night when I picked Deacon up, and he talked about it all night and this morning at breakfast. Kim, he was so excited, so proud to be the captain. I was wrong to just show up, but I knew if I called and asked Adam would've said no."

Kim couldn't argue with her, Adam would've said no and it would have been well within his rights. "Probably. This wasn't the answer though. You can stay and watch the game, talk to Deacon once it's over and then you'll need to go. Adam will leave you alone for today."

"Thank you." Mia said softly, "I just want to see my son play."

Fuck.

Kim hated the entire situation, she was firmly planted in Adam's corner but she sympathized with Mia, not that she'd ever tell her that. She chalked it up to her own motherly instinct, sure she wasn't a mother but she had certainly felt like one for the last few years.

She had cared for Deacon as if he was her own flesh and blood and she loved him as such. She was the one to care for him when he was ill, the one who would read countless books to him as he tried to avoid going to sleep. She wiped his tears after Adam had scolded him, she explained why he had gotten in trouble and she had assured him that no matter what he did both she and Adam loved him, and would love him forever.

She couldn't imagine being kept from her child, like Mia was but she also couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Mia failed her son. Mia's troubles were of her own making and that was hard to ignore, it was also why the sympathy she felt for Mia never lasted long.

Adam watched as Mia sat down at the far end of the bleachers, Deacon had already spotted her and the smile on his face was hard to miss. He was pissed that she had shown up unannounced and most definitely uninvited but Deacon was thrilled and that lessened his anger just a bit.

"What did she say?" He asked Kim the minute she returned.

Kim rolled her eyes a bit, "That she just wanted to see her son play the sport he loves, she saw the schedule at the house. She couldn't resist." Kim rested her arm on Adam's thigh, "On one hand I don't blame her..I mean I understand why she wanted to be here. She handled it wrong though, that's what bothers me."

"Story of her life, isn't it? She's here now. Nothing we can do about it. Though the last place she needs to be is with these crazy ass soccer moms, I swear Braden's mom has wine in that cup she never puts down. Tommy's mom too. They're all hot messes. I guess she'd fit right in"

"Be nice" Kim slapped his leg playfully, "They're not that bad."

Mia scanned the assembled crowd, she clearly was an outsider and the other moms had already looked her up and down and she was surprised when one approached her.

"You must be Deacon's mom, right? I'm Kate. Braden is my son, he's number 13." Kate pointed to the field, "You're Adam's sister, yes?"

Mia nodded, "Half sister. Don't forget that, Adam likes people to know that. We're only half siblings."

Kate waved her hand around dismissively, "Adam's a bit of jerk sometimes. He's a stick in the mud if you ask me. Your boy is good. He's one of the best players, Braden absolutely adores him. We should get the boys together one day."

"Maybe. It's a bit complicated at the moment though but soon." Mia felt her discomfort begin to fade away, the more she spoke with Kate the better she felt. She felt like a mom again, "Deacon loves this sport and this team. It's all he talks about when he visits with me."

"You're getting him back soon, right? I know Coach is worried we will lose Deacon from the team if he moves back in with you" Kate informed her. They didn't know the details of why Deacon lived with Adam, they certainly did their fair share of gossiping about it. Kate knew that was probably why Adam was a jerk when he was at a game or practice he had to know how much they whispered about Deacon and why he lived with Adam and Kim and not his mother.

Soccer moms and gossip were never a good combination and the coach had read them all the riot act after practice just a few weeks ago.

"I'm hoping to have him home soon, you won't lose him though. I'm local and I won't uproot him from school or this team. He's had enough change in his life already I won't add to it. He loves his aunt and uncle and I won't take him away from them."

The game was winding down, Deacon had played a helluva game he scored two goals and was all over the field. They trailed by a goal and it was clear to all in attendance that Deacon was desperate to get the game tied.

Adam watched as Deacon stole the ball and charged down the field, "Go Deacon go! You got this buddy! Go up the line!" He roared.

Kim stood behind him, she was on her toes as she peered over Adam's shoulder, "Go baby! Kick it!" She yelled.

Suddenly Kim felt sick and it was as if it was happening in slow motion, an opposing player managed to sideswipe Deacon with his hip and Deacon fell ass over tea kettle and landed on his out stretched arms.

Kim gasped, "Adam..." she gripped his arm, hiding her eyes in Adam's back. This was the part she hated, Deacon always played hard and he took more than a few tumbles and always bounced right back up, until now. "he's not getting up..."

"Shh.." Adam grabbed her hand, "He's okay. He probably had the wind knocked out of him." He watched as the coach jogged out onto the field and squatted beside Deacon.

"Hey Deacon..." Coach John placed his hand on Deacon's back, "you alright?"

Deacon groaned, "No" he laid on his stomach, his left arm cradled close to his chest and supported with his right hand, "my arm..it hurts. Bad." His face was sweaty and covered in dirt. "I heard a snap...it looks gross now."

"Okay. Just breathe for me okay?" John looked over his shoulder and whistled, "Adam!"

Kim pushed Adam towards the field, "Adam, go. He's hurt." She quickly glanced over at Mia who was white as a sheet, "Hurry Adam."

John helped Deacon to roll over on to his back and it took all the man had to not vomit at the sight of the kid's arm. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the arm was broken. His left arm had snapped just before his wrist, it was a gruesome injury and the last thing he wanted was for Deacon to see it. He grabbed a towel from the referee and draped it over his arm.

"Don't look at it man." Coach told Deacon, "Just try and relax and stay as still as possible your uncle is coming."

Adam ran over, "Deacon, buds."

John held him up, "Adam..it's broken. It's bad. Really bad." He signaled for the paramedics on the sideline, "He needs to go the hospital."

"Fuck.." Adam grumbled, "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Adam hung his head and took a deep breath before kneeling beside his nephew. "I'm sorry buddy. You need to go the hospital, get your arm taken care of. I will carry you to the car"

John stopped him, "Adam, go in the ambulance. They can start pushing meds and he won't have to wait around."

Adan shook his head, "Yeah. Alright." He looked down at his nephew's arm and tried not to puke. He had seen a lot in his years on the force, some really horrific shit but none of it held a candle to this. To seeing this kid, the kid he loved beyond words in such pain.

Kim stood just off the field, watching intently as Adam leaned over Deacon. The referee had pulled all of the players off the field, Kim knew in that instant that it was a significant injury. Typically the kids would all 'take a knee' on the field for the injured player and within a few minutes the kid would jump up and brush himself off and play would resume.

Deacon wasn't jumping up.

"Kim!" Mia touched her back, "Is he okay?"

Kim shook her head, "I don't know. It's not good though, they've called over the paramedics. I'm hoping they'll say he's fine." She knew it wasn't unusual for the paramedics to assess an injury, the league provided them for every game and they rarely transported a player. Most of the time the player had the wind knocked out of them or they were just a bit stunned, nothing serious and nothing that required transport.

Adam locked eyes with Kim, "Come here!" He stepped back as the paramedics worked on Deacon, "Darlin', his arm is broken. It's a bad break, they're going to transport him. You should ride with him."

"What?" Kim felt her heart drop, "My goodness..Adam.."

"I know. I'm sick. I hate it. Deacon's in shock I think. The adrenaline is definitely flowing through his veins right now." He slipped his hand in Kim's and led her over to Deacon.

"Oh, Baby." Kim cried as she kissed his head, he had been placed on the stretcher and his arm immobilized, "You're such a brave boy."

Deacon pulled the oxygen mask off his face, "I want mommy."

It was a knife to her heart, "She's here. Mia!" Kim hollered, she tried to ignore the ache in her stomach as she stepped aside allowing Mia to comfort Deacon.

"Hey mister man" Mia grabbed his right hand, "That was a big fall, huh? You're going to be okay though. I promise. The doctors will have your arm fixed soon."

"We need to go" the paramedic moved to load the stretcher into the back of the ambulance, "Who is coming with?"

Kim stepped up, "I am."

Deacon protested, "No! I want my mom. Please mommy."

"Yes. I'm coming honey." Mia pushed past Kim and climbed in the back of the bus.

"We're headed to Med, you can follow us."

"Mommy it hurts so bad.." Deacon cried, the adrenaline that had been running through his veins had waned and left him feeling the excruciating pain.

His arm was splinted making it impossible to see the break, but his entire arm and had swelled leaving his fingers incredibly puffy.

"I know baby." She looked out the window at the city flying by, "We are almost there. I promise."

The medic finished inserting the IV, "You'll feel a bit better soon. This medicine here is the good stuff. Just give it a few seconds. Mom's right though, we are almost there."

"You okay? I know that had to hurt. It killed me" Adam was a bit blindsided by Deacon's request. The kid always wanted Kim when he was sick or upset, Adam was used to losing out to Kim, but having Mia be the one Deacon wanted was a hard pill to swallow.

"I'm worried about Deacon, my heart hurts for him. I hate that he's in pain" Kim explained.

"Kim..he wanted her.."

"Adam, she's his mother. Of course he wanted her. I don't like it but that's because I'm selfish, I want to be by his side. He needs her though, he will always needs her."

Mia paced the length of the corridor, Deacon had been taken for X-rays of his arm and they refused to allow her to go with and it had her on edge. Seeing her little boy in such pain was almost more than she could bare. She had let him down more times than she could count and it felt as if she was letting him down once more.

Kim spotted her first, "Mia! Where's Deacon? How is he?" She asked, they sailed out of her in one breath, "What'd they say?"

Mia folded her arms, "It's broken, we already knew that though. They think he may be admitted and have a surgical repair first thing in the morning. It all depends on how the X-rays look."

She would never get the image of her son's broken arm from her memory the injury was grotesque. As awful as it looked the doctors were hopeful that he wouldn't a surgical repair, that all it would take was some brute force and some pain medicine. They'd be able to realign the bones and then immobilize for foreseeable future. That was best case scenario, Worst case? They'd have to use a few screws and plates to get the arm repaired.

"Well, let's hope for good news then." Kim smiled, "Have they given him something for the pain yet?"

"They did in the ambulance. So he was feeling a little better a bit loopy as well. You know how that goes.."

"You can go now." Adam finally spoke up, "We will call you with an update." He made his way towards Deacon's room, grabbing her purse off the counter, "We will say goodbye to him for you."

Adam could feel Kim's eyes on him, he knew she was shooting him an icy glare, he turned to her "What?"

"Are you serious right now?" Kim was livid, "Mia can stay."

"Really?" Adam cocked his head to the side, " _Are_ _you_ _serious_?" He tossed her own words back at her.

"I am." Kim stood her ground, "Deacon wants her here, he needs her here. Here is where she will be."

"Thank you" Mia turned to Kim.

"Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you, I did it for Deacon." Kim watched as Adam turned his back on them, his body language told her all she needed to know. She had pissed him off, and she knew once they left the hospital there was a good chance things were going to get ugly between them. She knew in her gut allowing Mia to stay was the right move, it was what was best for Deacon.

"You're mad at me?" Kim asked Adam, "It's not about her and it's certainly not about you, Adam. It's about Deacon. That's it."

"You blindsided me..you defied me!" Adam seethed.

"Excuse me? Defied you?" Kim was aghast. "Today has been stressful, so I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that just come out of your mouth. That you didn't just speak to me as if you were my father."

"That's not what I meant and you know it" Adam whispered, "She shouldn't be here!" He was no longer whispering and he froze when Deacon returned, they both got up and followed the doctor into the room.

"How's my baby?" Mia peppered his head with kisses, "You okay honey?"

"Uh-huh. The X-rays didn't hurt too bad." Deacon was still a bit loopy and he was struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Unfortunately our boy here will need surgery. Both bones are broken, he will need to have it pinned. We've got him on the books for first thing in the morning. Our goal for tonight it to keep his pain under control and let him rest."

"Can I stay?" Mia asked.

"Of course." The doctor replied.

"Thank you."

"You bet. Rest up big guy, we will get that arm good as new in no time." He tugged lightly on Deacon's foot. "The staff is getting your room together on the peds floor."

"Let's go Adam." She tugged on his shirt, "Deacon needs to sleep." She kissed his cheek, "We love you buddy and will be here first thing this morning."

Adam followed suit, "Sleep tight man. I love you. You're tough as nails, I'm so proud of you." He kissed his cheek he ignored Mia as he left the room.

Kim sighed, "Please call us if things change."

"Absolutely." Mia tucked the blankets around him, "drive safe."

Kim found Adam just outside the doors to the hospital, she could almost see the steam coming from his ears he was furious.

"Adam..."

He held his hand up, "I don't want to hear it. I should be there with him, I've spent the last four years at his side and now I need to back off? Fuck no! It's bad enough she expects me to just step aside. The fact that you expect the same? That hurts." He jammed his index finger against his chest to accentuate his point, "Fucking hurts. You sided with her!"

"That's not what I did!" Kim roared, "I did what was best for Deacon, she's his mother. He loves her. He needs her, you need to accept that Adam. She's not going away, she will be getting him back." She wasn't going to fight with him in the hospital parking lot, "We can talk about this at home. Let's go. I'm exhausted."

"I need air." Adam told her. He grabbed his keys from his pocket, "I'll walk."

Kim grabbed him, "Don't be stupid, Adam."

"Just go Kim." Adam told her.


	4. Chapter 4

Kim had been home for twenty minutes, her blood pressure was through the roof and she was furious.

The dishwasher filled with clean dishes did nothing to help her current mood, Adam had promised to empty that morning. He had stopped her from emptying it and told her to go for a quick run that he'd handle it.

Yep, he handled it alright.

He blew it off.

In the grand scheme of things it wasn't a big deal, normally the dishwasher was one of Deacon's chores. He didn't have many but he was required to keep his bedroom clean, to make sure his dirty laundry found its way to the laundry room, and to load and empty the dishwasher. He also was tasked with vacuuming every Sunday, he earned a modest allowance for his efforts, an allowance he rarely spent. He clearly didn't inherit his uncle's propensity for spending, he was careful with his money and only occasionally did he spend his money. His last big purchase had been a hundred fifty dollar pair of soccer cleats, Kim was reluctant to drop that much on cleats when his feet seemed to grow a size with every passing week.

Deacon was gone and Adam offered to do it, only for him to not do it. Which on any other day it would annoy her but she'd get over it pretty quickly.

Not now.

It just added to her anger.

She was still slamming the cabinets when Adam finally walked in.

Kim barely glanced at him over her shoulder as he leaned against the side of the fridge, he cleared his throat

She finally acknowledged his presence. "You're home." Kim grumbled.

"Yeah" Adam shoved his hands in his pants pockets, "I was wrong. I'm sorry. I was a dick. I shouldn't have spoken to you that way, I shouldn't have walked away from you. I feel like I'm drowning.." his voice cracked a bit, "he's slipping away..."

Adam's tears were her kryptonite, seeing the tears as they filled his eyes pushed her anger aside, her heart was breaking for him, "Baby..."

He lost it and was sobbing uncontrollably, Kim grabbed a hold of him and held on to him, "It's okay..."

"I love him...I love him like a son. I don't want to let him go..I don't want to lose him" Adam managed to choke out.

Kim pulled back, "You're not losing him, Adam. He's not slipping away, he's with his mom. Adam, he adores you. You're his rock." Kim kissed his cheeks, "Mia is his mother and he adores her just as much. Despite all her faults, Deacon loves his mother."

Adam dipped his head to kiss her, "I" He kissed her again, "Don't." He held her face in his hands staring intently into her eyes, the eyes that could bring him to his knees and the eyes that soothed his soul, "want to talk about her." He kissed her once more, a kiss that made his intentions known, he pulled her against his chest. "I am so sorry...I love you."

Kim hummed against his lips, "I love you too..."

Kim balanced the coffees in one hand and the bag of muffins in the other, Deacon was scheduled to be the first surgery of the morning but a nasty car accident had bumped him. They'd been at the hospital since before sunrise and now it was pushing noon and Deacon had just gone back.

Adam had vowed to not eat anything in solidarity with Deacon who was absolutely starving as only a preteen boy could be, now that he had gone back it was time to feed the beast that was her husband.

A hangry Adam wasn't a fun Adam.

A chocolate chip muffin and a coffee would have to be enough, while Adam was starving Kim was a nervous wreck. She had no desire to eat, she'd eat when Deacon was out of surgery and his arm repaired.

"Hey Baby." Adam jumped up to help her, "thanks" he took his coffee from her kissing her quickly as he did so. "The nurse just called. Deacon is out cold and they're starting the procedure. Said it take about two hours maybe two and a half start to finish." He took a bite of the muffin, "Shit this is good. Thanks."

Kim crossed the waiting room and delivered one to Mia, "Here you go. I didn't know what you liked so I just grabbed a muffin for you. Adam is picky when it comes to his coffee, I didn't know if you were the same. If it was a Ruzek trait." Kim chuckled nervously. "How was our boy last night?"

Mia picked at the muffin, "Thank you. I'm not much of a coffee drinker. The muffin is perfect but I'm a bit too nervous to eat" she forced a smile, "He was okay, he had a hard time sleeping. I don't think he could get comfortable."

"I imagine not. That splint on his arm was massive." Kim swayed from side to side, "I should get back to Adam."

Mia held the muffin up, "Thanks again."

"She okay?" Adam asked Kim when she returned.

"She's hanging in" Kim ran her hand over his thigh, "you should talk to her."

"Nah I'm good." Adam rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He had barely slept the previous night and he still felt like shit for blowing up on Kim. He had done his best to make sure she knew just how sorry he was. It still gnawed at him though, "I'm sorry..you know that right?"

"I do" Kim smiled, "You need to stop apologizing." She paused, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"How come you never told me about Mia?" He had never mentioned her during their relationship, she had heard all about his mother and she knew Bob. Correction she had been introduced to Bob and had seen him in passing at crime scenes and on the rare occasion they ended up at the same bar or function. Adam always kept him at arms length and Kim never pressed him about it.

"I don't know. She never came up"

Kim glared at him, he knew that wasn't a sufficient reply. "I guess cause I'd forgotten about her to be honest" he could see the doubt in her eyes, "It's the truth. I was just a kid when her mother took off. I don't think she was much more than three or four. I asked my mother about her once and she lost her shit. So I never asked again."

"She was just a little girl, your mother didn't like her?" She still hadn't met Adam's mother and she had given up on meeting her, she had little desire to do so. It didn't help that she had ignored the invitation to their wedding celebration.

Adam sighed, "She's the product of one of my father's numerous affairs. She hated Mia's mother, so she hated Mia. My pops just let them go..so I did too. Until she showed up on my doorstep begging for help."

"You helped her." Kim leaned into his side, "You must've liked her then."

"Maybe. I guess a little bit. It became clear why she showed up on my doorstep. She needed me to fix her mistakes. Like a fool I did it. I did it for my nephew though, that time in my life was awful. I hated myself. I couldn't stand to see my own reflection, I hated being in my own skin." Adam explained, "My father he did a number on her..I thought I could help her..it just got to be too much.."

"I hate that you went through that all on your own." She turned in her chair, "it's all over now. Mia is in a good place, she's sober. She's got a solid job and nice apartment. It's time to let all of that go, put behind us and move forward. Deacon will be going back to his mom, and knowing Deacon as I do. He won't go if he thinks it will hurt you. You need to forgive Mia, Adam."

"Do I?"

"Yes. You do. Don't do it for her, do it for Deacon and yourself."

"I don't know if I can."

"You can. I know it. You're a great man, Adam. You've been an amazing uncle to Deacon. It's time to let go of the past." She knew her husband better than he knew himself sometimes, "you were just a little boy Adam, you did nothing wrong. You couldn't save Mia. You couldn't stop your father from turning his back on her. His mistakes..they're not yours. Please Adam, let it go."

This woman at his side? He adored her, "Thank you." Adam kissed her, "For loving me...even when I'm an unlovable asshole."

"Baby..you're never unlovable..."

Adam laughed, "Ouch..I'm an asshole, eh?"

"Sometimes. You're my asshole though, and I love you."

"Uncle Adam!"Deacon perked up a bit as soon as Adam walked in, "They fixed my arm"

Adam kissed his head, "That's awesome pal."

"It still hurts a little bit." Deacon adjusted the pillow beneath his arm, "I get to go home in a few days, and then soon they'll put a new cast on. I can even pick the color, I want a blue one."

"For the Cubbies?" Adam asked.

"No." Deacon shrugged, "For you. Aunt Kim too. Blue for cops."

"That's sweet of you Deacon." Kim rubbed his foot, "You look sleepy."

"He's still a bit groggy, the doctors said it's expected. It's a side effect from the anesthesia." Mia looked between Adam and Kim, "Well, I should get going." She had already told Deacon she'd be going home, "I will be back tomorrow to visit, if that's okay."

Adam stopped her, "Stay."

"What?" Mia arched an eyebrow at him, "I figured you or Kim would like to spend tonight with him. I will go."

"No." Adam told her, "You should stay. You're his mother. You should be here." Adam felt Kim slip her hand in his, "We will come back in the morning."

"Thank you Adam." Mia smiled, "Thank you."

 _ **This was a hard one for me to write hence the delay, it's a bit of a filler and not my best work.**_


	5. Chapter 5

The date had been circled for months. It was circled in bright blue highlighter and written in Deacon's chicken scratch was, ' _Deacon's Headed Home'_ it still took the wind from her sails when she laid eyes on it.

She felt the sadness in the pit of her stomach, it was bittersweet. She had fallen head over heels in love with the little boy the first time she laid eyes on him. He was this little boy who was quiet as a mouse and timid as can be, he'd hide behind Adam's leg whenever he was introduced to someone new. Slowly he came out of his shell, once he was comfortable with you he morphed into a completely different child. One who was rambunctious and talked for hours on end, a bit like his uncle.

Deacon was no longer that timid little boy, he had grown into a fine young man, one that she was proud of. One she loved with all her heart, and one she had to let go.

They had planned one last hurrah, a ' _goodbye'_ party of sorts. A way for everyone who loved Deacon to come together and celebrate the boy who had brought such joy to their lives.

Deacon pushed the cart through the wide aisles of the warehouse styled store, they had already loaded up on beverages and food and were headed towards the electronics.

The video games to be more specific.

"Mom doesn't have a PlayStation at her house." Deacon pointed out as Adam flicked through the games on the shelf, "Can I take the one from our...I mean your house?" He quickly corrected himself, it still sounded foreign to him. He had lived with his aunt and uncle for just over four years now, he was excited to go home. He felt bad about that, and he tried to hide his excitement from them but it was really hard some days.

He loved his aunt and uncle, he knew he could count on them to always be there for him, but he hated being different. He hated being away from his mom, he was ready to go home.

To his home.

It was so close he could taste it.

"Nope. Can't take mine." Adam told him, "You know Aunt Kim won't let me buy another one. She's mean like that." He shrugged. He moved further down the aisle, stopping in front of the gaming systems, he squatted in front of them, "plus if you take mine..." he sorted through the boxes, "how can we play together when you're at home with your mom and I'm off from work?" He asked as dropped the PlayStation 4 in Deacon's arms.

"What? Seriously? You're not messing with me are you?" Deacon eyed him suspiciously.

"Would I mess with you?"

"Yes. You do it all the time." He glared at his uncle, "It's not even my birthday." Deacon was in disbelief. "Aunt Kim said I had to wait for my birthday to get one."

"I know she did, but that was just to get you to quit whining about it. We wanted to surprise you with it. It's a going away gift." Adam explained, "Not that you're going away, not really."

Deacon put the game on the cart and hugged him, "Thanks Uncle Adam."

Adam held his head against his chest, "You're welcome buddy." He leaned down and kissed him, "I love you."

"I love you too." Deacon pulled back, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Adam took over pushing the cart and they made their way to the registers, surprised to find one with just a few customers waiting.

"You're not..." Deacon paused trying to find the right words, "...well you're not mad at me right?"

"Mad?"

"Yeah, like are you mad that I want to live with my mom?" Deacon picked at a hangnail, "I really want to live with her again. Does that make you mad? You don't like my mom"

Adam's shoulders sagged, "No. I'm not mad at you." He grabbed his shoulders, "I could never be mad at you." He tilted Deacon's chin up to look him in the eye, "I love you. I love having you live with me and Aunt Kim. I'm selfish and don't want you to go, but I would never keep you from your mom."

"Do you hate her?" Deacon asked.

Adam sighed, "Deacon, man. It's complicated. Do I hate her? No. Do I hate the things she did? Absolutely. She made some horrible choices, she didn't take care of you like she should have."

"That's why she found you. I remember that. She told me that you could help us." Deacon watched as Adam loaded the items on the conveyer belt to be scanned, "You used to come over when we lived in that nasty apartment. You brought pizza."

Adam nodded his head, "I did. I'm surprised you remember that."

"I remember a lot of things. Aunt Kim says I'm like an elephant, they never forget things." Deacon explained, "My Mom is good Uncle Adam, she's nice now. She is better."

"She is," Adam replied, "She is better. It's hard for me to be friends with your mom right now. It's complicated adult stuff."

"So it's boring?" Deacon asked.

"Something like that." Adam handed over his credit card to the cashier, "As long as your mom does right by you, we are good."

Kim wasn't sure how long she had been sitting with the calendar in her hands and tears streaming down her cheeks, she'd been an emotional wreck the last few weeks. She was more than willing to blame it on the pregnancy hormones and now that she was just a few days away from her due date she was feeling it big time.

She felt as if she was gaining one child and losing another. It was bittersweet and it was overwhelming, it was a contradiction of emotions. She worried about Adam and how losing Deacon would affect him. For a long time Deacon was all Adam had and he had poured every ounce of love he had into that kid, and made him his entire world.

Adam was an amazing uncle and she couldn't wait to see their little one in his arms. The moment Adam learned of her pregnancy would be forever ingrained in her mind's eye. He was overcome with emotion and broke down in her arms, he dropped to his knees and kissed her stomach over and over again. He whispered words of love against her bare stomach, and did so throughout her pregnancy. It was a beautiful sight to behold, Adam had one sided conversations with their unborn child, he talked about his love for Kim and the baby, it was without a doubt the sweetest thing Kim had ever witnessed.

Their due date was just a few days after Deacon's move out date, they couldn't have planned it better if they tried.

She dropped the calendar and wiped her tears away, she'd have a houseful of guests in just a few hours and she needed to get to work. Nicole would be arriving shortly, she'd have Zoe in tow and they'd help with setting everything up.

Pregnancy had kicked her ass, she had always been very active and fit, going for morning runs and hitting the gym on her way home from work. By her fifth month of pregnancy she was really feeling it, she was exhausted all the time and as seemed to pop over night.

She was huge and couldn't remember what her feet looked like anymore, she practically lived in yoga pants and sweats.

Adam was constantly telling her she was beautiful, some days she questioned his sincerity, pregnancy didn't leave her feeling beautiful. She was miserable and uncomfortable all the time, she was constantly peeing. She sneezed she'd pee, heaven forbid she laugh too much, cause she'd pee then as well.

She was ready to evict the _two_ humans inside her. Twins. That had been a shock and she was still trying to wrap her head around it. They had just gotten used to the idea of becoming parents when the doctor discovered the second baby, they were in a state of shock for a few weeks before the shock wore off and they were overjoyed by the news.

Nicole helped Zoe carry the bags inside, "Kim! We're here." Nicole called out, the house was strangely quiet, "Kim?"

Kim waddled down the hallway, "l'm here. Some of us can't move as fast as they used to." She pointed to her belly, "these two are having a party in there today."

"They're definitely Adam's children, aren't they?" She laughed. She and her brother in law had come along way over the years.

"Of course they are." She laughed as she hugged her sister, "I'm so excited you guys could make it. We're trying to keep the mood light and fun, I've already cried my eyes out this morning. I'm just glad Deacon wasn't here to see it."

"Ouch. I'm sorry. I know this is hard for you." Nicole knew how much Kim adored Deacon, "just think though, now you get to be the fun aunt..not the mean mom." Nicole reasoned, "I can't wait to be aunt to these two sweet babies" she ran her hand over Kim's belly.

"Its hard but it's the right thing. We will have Deacon on the weekends and during the summer and holidays."

"How's Adam?"

"Adam's Adam, you know? Doesn't say a whole lot but I know it's weighing heavily on him. I just wish he'd find some common ground with Mia. It would make this transition a bit easier."

Nicole chuckled, "Indeed it would. I get why Adam is so reluctant to befriend her, she dicked him over. He went to jail for her, I'm surprised you can tolerate being in the same space as her. Forget how she treated Adam that was bad but the way she treated her own son? It's disgusting."

Kim pinched the bridge of her nose, "Please don't go there. Adam made his choices, Mia wasn't the only one who made the wrong choice." She had this conversation with Adam more times than she'd like to admit, "Anyway..it's water under the bridge. Perhaps one day Mia and Adam can have a relationship, but until that happens I'm left playing peacekeeper, so please don't bring Mia up in front of Adam. Not today, today is about Deacon."

Nicole held her hands up, "I won't I promise." She hugged her sister, "you're amazing, I want you to know that. I don't think I can say it enough.." She shuddered a bit at the memory, "...you've been amazing for me, for Zoe, and for Deacon. I'm so lucky tohave you in my life. We all our. I love you."

"I love you too! I'm so thankful for you. Adam and I will need all the help we can get when our babies arrive" she rubbed her belly lovingly, "I hope Zoe is up for babysitting."

"I hope so. I think it'd be a great form of birth control for her" Nicole teased, "my sweet little girl has turned into a hormonal boy crazy teenager, it's not pretty"

"Oh joy.." Kim smirked, "sounds like a blast."

Jay grabbed three beers and found Kevin and Adam in the backyard, "He's really going back to her, huh?"

Adam accepted the beer, "He is." He took a swig, "she better not fuck up. If she does she will never see Deacon again. I promise you that."

"Wow..." Kevin marveled, "that's a positive outlook. I get that you're worried but come on man, don't be thinking like that. Have a little faith in your sister. People change."

The party was in full swing, Kim loved when her home was packed with their friends and family. She loved to her the laughter as it floated through the air, she weaved her way through the crowd and spotted her husband as he sat on the back steps. He shoulders slumped and his head down, a bottle of beer at his side.

She ran her hand across his broad shoulders, the shoulders that often held the weight of the world upon them.

"You okay?" She asked him as she leaned against the railing, she knew she'd never be able to get up if she somehow managed to sit beside him.

"Yeah. Just needed a breather." Adam stood up and pulled her into his arms, resting his head on her shoulder as his arms cradled her belly, "you're taking it easy, right?"

Kim nodded her head as she covered his hands with hers, "I am. You worry to much. Deacon is having the time of his life isn't he? He enjoys being the center of attention." Kim twisted a bit to look Adam in the eye, "He's going to be okay, I know you're scared to let him go."

"I can keep him safe when he's here. With us. I can't protect him if he's with Mia." Adam explained, "He asked me if I was mad at him. If I was mad that he wanted to live with his mom. He said he knew I didn't like his mom. A kick to the nuts would've felt better."

Kim hissed, "I'm sorry." She turned around to face him, "What did you tell him?"

"That I wasn't mad, that I know he loves his mom. I told him it was complicated. Which it is. Told him that I didn't like some of her choices and that I was just looking out for him."

Kim wrapped her arms around his neck, "Will you do something for me?"

"I'd do anything for you." Adam told her, "Anything at all."

"Give your sister a chance." She felt him tense up, "Adam, she is a part of our lives now. She's not going away. We need to accept that, I think part of you wants a relationship with her. She's your sister Adam. If not for me do it for Deacon. Do it for our babies"

Adam sighed, "You're playing dirty. You know that, right? Maybe. I'm willing to try. Not for her but for Deacon and you."

"Thank you."

Adam rolled over and shielded his eyes from the light, he had no idea of the time or how long he'd been asleep. It wasn't strange to wake up and not have Kim in bed but it always jump started his heart, her due date wasn't far off and he worried constantly.

He grabbed his sweats from the floor and pulled them on, he searched the house and found Kim in the living room pacing the length of the room.

"Darlin', you alright?" He asked.

She had her hand on the small of her back, "Yes. No..." she paused, "..I'm not sure. My back hurts, it's been bothering me most of the day but now.." she stopped as she felt another one come on, "...I think I'm having contractions."

Adam raced to her side and gripped her arms, "Seriously?" He was desperate to not panic, "Are you sure?"

"No." Kim laughed, "I think we should call the doctor."

 _ **Sorry for the long delay in updating, this story hasn't been kind to me. Hopefully it won't take as long with the next chapter.**_


	6. Chapter 6

Life as they knew it was over.

Their world now revolved around two tiny little people.

Two perfect little humans, their perfect little humans.

Just three months old and they held all the cards, they ruled the roost. They wouldn't change it for the world though, every sleepless night, every shitty diaper it was worth it.

Parenthood was an unbelievable feeling, knowing that these tiny beings relied on them for everything was a bit terrifying but it was also the greatest feeling in the world.

Hearing them coo softly was the best sound in the world, watching as their little mouths formed into tiny smiles warmed their hearts unlike anything else in the world.

They adored their babies, neither one could remember their life before the twins, and they had no desire to either.

This was their life now.

It was hard to believe their babies were now three months old, Kim had taken an open ended leave and returning to work wasn't even on her radar at the moment. She was fortunate enough to have a six week maternity leave and she'd been wise when it came to her PTO and allowed it to accumulate giving her plenty of paid time off.

Child care for one infant was definitely doable, child care for two infants? Well, that was a bit trickier. When they first discovered they were pregnant they discussed their options and found a few child care centers they liked but the discovery of 'Baby B' had thrown a wrench in their plans.

They would need to have that conversation again, but for now it was all about diapers, formula, and naps.

Adam picked up all the overtime he could get his hands on and he hated being away from his babies and Kim, he would gladly do it if it meant Kim was able to stay home with the twins.

Their home had become overrun by baby supplies, they had two swings, two seats, two of everything. There seemed to be a never ending pile of laundry, and it was no longer because of Adam. It seemed one of the babies would have a blow out from their diaper at least once a day, and they had burp cloths for days.

It was all worth it.

Some days Kim felt like she was covered in spit up, formula, or shit. It was the same thing every day. They fed the babies, changed the babies, put the babies in bed. Kim would finally have a moment to herself, if she was really luck she'd be able to throw in a nap before it started all over again.

It was rough some days, especially those days when Adam was gone for hours on end, those days sucked. Adam hated those days, he hated when he got home after the babies fell asleep, he'd watch them sleep for a few moments before crawling into bed with Kim. They were both so sleep deprived that it often left them with little energy to do anything other than sleep when the opportunity presented itself.

They had been given a glimpse of a world no one wanted to be in, they had been the lucky ones.

The twins struggled a bit when they were born. They both required a feeding tube and supplemental oxygen, they spent just shy of two weeks in the NICU. They had to remain in the hospital until their actual due date, and it sucked. They quickly discovered how fortunate they were, their babies were okay. Not everyone was as lucky as they were, in fact the Ruzek twins were the exception to the rule.

Kim still became teary eyed when she thought about those early days, she saw the tiniest babies, tinier than she had ever imagined. She saw babies with serious heart abnormalities, babies who were born addicted to opiates.

It was rough.

It was also a bit of a wake up call for her, she was devastated when she had to leave the hospital without her babies for the first time. It crushed her, it left her gasping for air. She felt as if she was leaving her heart behind, she hated it and she threw herself a pity party.

Seeing those babies fight to live, seeing their little chests struggle to pull in a breath was confronting. It also showed her just how lucky they had been. Their babies were in good health, they just needed some support.

When she first learned she was carrying twins she feared that she wouldn't have enough love for them both. That was a load of bullshit, she had an abundance of love for her sweet babies.

The second they were placed in her arms she knew it.

Her delivery had been surprisingly quick and the babies weren't pleased with their new surroundings, they both made sure everyone knew they had arrived.

They were tiny but mighty.

'Baby A' was four pounds seven ounces and had a head full of hair.

'Baby B' was three pounds three ounces and bald as could be.

'Baby A' was their prince, and 'Baby B' their princess.

Parker James and Alexa Grace.

Parker had morphed into PJ, a nickname Adam had given him from day one. Adam was smitten with his son, and he loved his babies with all he had but there was something special about a daddy and his little girl.

Alexa adored Adam and she made it known that if Adam was around she needed to be in his arms and she wasn't going to leave his arms for anyone or anything. It was adorable to watch, her arms and legs would flail around at the sound of his voice and she'd coo and gurgle as he talked. She was adorable to watch when Kim would FaceTime Adam so he could see the twins for a few minutes.

Alexa enjoyed being the center of attention, where PJ was quite content to watch the world as it went on around him, he took it all in. He wasn't overly concerned with being held or not, though he did enjoy a good snuggle he just wasn't like Alexa, once you picked her up you were screwed.

They were night and day, but they were absolute perfection.

They didn't come without drama though, life was never drama free. Alexa had some episodes of apnea when she first came home. It was worrisome enough that she was hooked up to a monitor that would set off an alarm if her breathing slowed past a certain point.

It had gone off a few times and it was the absolute worst way to be woken up, thankfully she had since grown out of it. Kim still worried about her, and often got up in the middle of the night to check on them both.

Deacon had been a surprising source of drama as well, once the twins were born he began to act out. He had an attitude and a smart ass mouth and it was ugly for a bit. Adam took him out to breakfast one morning, and Deacon finally spoke up. He was jealous of PJ and feared that Adam didn't need him anymore, since he had his own son.

Adam quickly set his nephew straight, he needed Deacon and PJ both. That while Deacon wasn't his son, he loved him as if he was and that would never change. He reminded him that PJ wasn't much of a gamer yet, nor could he go to Cubs games and that he was pretty boring. It brightened Deacon's mood and put him at ease, and Deacon turned it around.

The soft cries of PJ woke her, she felt as if she had only just drifted off to sleep, it had been a rough night for her little boy, he seemed uncomfortable and just couldn't settle.

She was amazed at how she could hear just a muffled cry and instantly knew which child it was, she had also learned what their cries meant. Alexa was her fiery child and had quite the temper. She was quick to lose it as well, she could go from happy and content to furious and screaming in the blink of an eye. PJ took awhile to get worked up and he normally would slip his thumb in his mouth and self soothe.

Kim pulled her hair up in a very messy bun before lifting him from his bassinet. "What's going on little man?" She stroked his cheek with the back of her index finger, she held him close and swayed from side to side hoping to lull him back to sleep. He had lost a fair bit of his hair and what remained had thinned out significantly, it was no longer jet black it was now a dirty blonde like Adam's hair.

She nuzzled her nose against his cheek, "You're sleepy buddy. I wish you'd sleep for more than a few minutes." His skin was warm to the touch and his brow slick with sweat. "Baby..you're warm. I think we should call the doctor, huh?" She often found herself carrying on one sided conversation with her babies, it helped to break up the monotony and silence in the house when Adam was at work.

Deacon ran after Braden, "Hey man!" He exchanged a quick fist bump with his buddy, "We're still hanging out tonight, right? I told my uncle I couldn't go to his house cause we were hanging out."

Braden slung his backpack over his shoulder, "Of course. I'm stoked. I love Star Wars I can't wait to see the new one."

"Me too. It looks so good."

The bell rang and the boys stood in place, bringing the hall monitor out of her chair, "That's the bell boys, it means it's time to head to class. Go on now, get moving."

Braden rolled his eyes, "Later man."

Adam had his feet propped up on his desk, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes for just a few minutes. He was shot, they'd been running all over the city for hours, he was now running on fumes. He had been up and down a good bit of the night with PJ, he and Kim had taken turns getting up with him.

Kevin nudged his chair, "Ruzek.."

Adam's head snapped up, "What?" He ran his palms over his face, "what's up?"

"Your phone. Someone is blowing it up." Kevin pointed to it, "you look like shit man."

"Feel it too" He replied, "It was Kim. I need to call her." Adam excused himself and headed for the break room and another can of energy drink.

Kevin leaned against the door, "All good?"

Adam shrugged, "Don't know." He slid his phone in his back pocket, "PJ isn't feeling well, Kim's taking him to the doctor. He's off, been grumpy as hell and won't sleep for more than a few minutes at a time."

"Shit..that sucks. You going with her?"

"I can't get out of here. She's going to stop in after the appointment. She's taking my girl to Nicole's." Adam explained, "Hopefully it's nothing too bad."

Deacon and Braden took off for the movie theater's entrance, they'd been talking non stop since they got home from school, "Slow down boys!" Mia called out as she and Kate followed behind them.

Mia and Kate had become fast friends and they often met up for dinner and a movie and each hosted numerous sleep overs. The boys had grown inseparable and Mia loved that Deacon had a best friend like Braden.

"I've got no idea where their energy comes from" Kate laughed, "Braden never slows down, he is exhausting."

"Deacon too." Mia laughed, "If only I could bottle that energy up an sell it..I'd be a billionaire."

Adam looked up from his desk when he heard Platt's voice as she made her way upstairs, "Hey.."

Platt held PJ in her arms, "He's so handsome are we sure he's actually yours?" She teased, stepping aside as Kim made her way up.

"Yes." Adam rolled his eyes. He usually gave as good as he got but he wasn't feeling it today. He was worried about his son, "He looks exactly like me." He grabbed Kim's hand, "What did the doctor say?"

Kim rubbed PJ's back, "He's got an ear infection, they've called in a prescription for antibiotics and gave him some pain medicine. He's feeling better, once the antibiotics kick in he will be good as new in no time."

"Thank goodness" Adam took him from Platt, "Hey man." He kissed his forehead, "Daddy is sorry you're not feeling good."

"This sucks" Kim leaned against Adam, "I don't like this part of being a parent. I hate not being able to help him."

"Me too" Adam draped his arm around her, "Should we be worried about the princess?"

"Doctor said ear infections aren't contagious but told me to just watch her and if she starts to show signs to just call the office and he will call in a script for her too." Kim took PJ from Adam, "I need to get to the pharmacy and pick up Alexa before it gets dark" she kissed Adam's cheek, "Will you be done soon?"

Adam ran his hand over PJ's head, "I hope so."

"Be safe." Kim told him.

"I will walk you out." Adam guided her towards the stairs.

Olinsky stopped him, "We gotta roll out. Let's go."

Platt shooed him away, "I got this Ruzek. You need to get to work."

Adam sighed, "Call me when you get home. I love you."

There a moments in a person's life that will haunt you forever. Should I have left a few minutes earlier or later?

Made a right instead of a left?

Decisions that seem insignificant when you make them, yet when the dust settles you can pinpoint exactly where you went wrong.

The sound of crunching metal was deafening, the explosion of glass reverberated throughout the car. The crackling of fire as it ignited, the scent of rubber burning hung in the air, blood splattered everywhere leaving no surface untouched.

The sound of chaos upon impact had shifted to an eerie silence, a terrifying silence.

 ** _One chapter left, as always thanks for reading!_**


	7. Chapter 7

Nicole bounced Alexa lightly, "Mommy should he here any minute princess. I know you're hungry babe, but you drank your last bottle Sweetheart." She never in a million years thought Kim would be gone for so long judging by the fact that Kim has only packed two bottles, she didn't think it would take that long either. She kept checking the clock, if Kim didn't show up soon, Alexa was going to lose her shit.

She was running out of options. She had offered her a pacifier and initially Alexa had taken it until she discovered it wasn't going to give her formula, once that discovery had been made she spit it out and glared at Nicole.

Nicole grabbed her phone, she groaned when it went straight to voicemail. "Hey. It's me. Alexa is hungry, I'm going to the store. Call me when you get this, Kim. Please."

She tossed the phone in her purse, grabbing Zoe on her way out, "Let's go. Alexa needs formula. She's pissed."

Zoe did as she was told, "Where's Aunt Kim?"

"At the doctor with PJ. I'm sure she'll be here soon. You know how the doctors office can get." She could see the worry in her eyes, Zoe had never been much of a worrier but that all changed when Nicole had been attacked. "I bet she will get here once we leave. No worries."

"Okay, but you look worried." Zoe replied.

"I'm worried because Alexa is hungry and I don't have another bottle for her. That's all." Nicole buckled the car seat, fascinated at how much they had changed since Zoe was a baby, car seats had come a long way. "Are you riding up front?"

"I wanna sit next to Alexa. She likes it when I sing to her." Zoe was an outstanding cousin, she doted on the twins and couldn't wait until she would be able to babysit them on her own. She had even taken a few babysitter courses that had been offered through the library, she knew she had to wait until they were older to do it solo, now she settled for having her mother with her.

The crime scene was unlike anything they'd ever seen before, whoever lived in the House was clearly a hoarder. The house stunk to high heaven, and it was more than just the smell of death. It was putrid and even the most veteran police officers would vomit upon arrival.

Halstead and Upton had arrived on scene first and they had started interviewing the neighbors. It wasn't turning up much, it seemed no one really took the time to get know their neighbors anymore. They were met with shoulder shrugs and a shit ton 'don't know' or 'never paid any attention'.

It was dead end after dead end.

Cases like this were frustrating, they had very little to go on. Their DOA was a middle aged man who clearly had mental issues. The state of his home was proof of that, they had to walk sideways through the house, the only clear path they had was incredibly narrow and left little room to move about. Their was dirty dishes everywhere with food in different stages of decay, it was filled with fruit flies and roaches, the small bathroom required a hazmat suit before one dare enter. The toilet overflowed with feces, it was clear the shower hadn't been used in months, the floor was rotting throughout the house and one misstep was all it would take for someone to fall through it.

Jay needed air, he had already puked once and it was the last thing he wanted to do again, he spotted Voight talking to an elderly woman.

"Sarge..it's a mess." Halstead ran his hands down his jeans desperate to get them clean, "We've got dick. No one knows anything and no one has seen anything." It was surprising that they solved as many cases as they did considering how little witnesses would give them to work with.

"You interview the neighbors yet?"

"We did. Came up empty. The house should be condemned." He looked over his shoulder towards the house of horrors, "He took one to the back of the head. Found him face down in a pile of shit. Like actual shit" He shuddered a bit.

"Alright.." he sighed, "A hazmat team is en route. We can't wait on them, so grab Ruzek and double up on the gloves. See if you can find something, anything that will give us some insight on our victim."

Halstead scanned the scene, "Ruzek isn't here."

"Looks like it's just you and Upton then." He shoved him towards the scene, "Try not breathe through your nose man." It was hard not to laugh at the way Jay's face contorted.

"And What breathe through my mouth? No thank you. I'd rather _smell_ it than _taste_ it." Jay grabbed a fresh pair of gloves and a mask, "Ruzek better get his ass here sooner rather than later."

Nicole grabbed the tin of formula and ripped it open , she grabbed Alexa's bottle of water from her bag and deposited the correct amount of powered formula in it. Alexa kicked her legs wildly while she waited for her aunt to finish. Her arms soon followed suit, princess was clearly hungry.

Nicole groaned when her phone rang, "Zo, grab that will you?"

"Fuck..." Jay dry heaved as he lifted the lid off a tub, finding nothing but decaying rats in it, "this is fucking nasty..who lives like this?"

"Quit whining Halstead." Upton shouted, "You are quite the delicate flower, aren't you?"

"That he is" Adam chimed in, "He's a pretty boy. He doesn't like to get dirty." He tossed aside some old magazines aside, "This is stupid, we aren't going to find anything here. It's a waste of time."

"It might be, but until Voight says otherwise this is what we need to do" Upton informed them. She had become the 'goodie two shoes' of the unit and worked tirelessly to keep the guys on task. It didn't take much for them to go off on a tangent of some sort.

"Yes mother" Adam replied, his smirk evident beneath the mask he wore.

"Shut up" Upton rolled her eyes. "If you two would quit whining we'd already be done. Just get to work, Alright?"

Kim had panicked when she first pulled up to her sister's house and found it empty, she had been stuck at the pharmacy and the entire time she was worried about Alexa and how she was doing.

She was relieved when she spoke with Zoe and learned of their whereabouts and that they were on their way home. Kim decided to take advantage of the situation and hang out for a bit, she was excited at the thought that she could take a nap and let Nicole and Zoe tend to the twins.

The smell of burning rubber and flesh had taken hold of the scene, it was a scent that clung to everything. Your skin, your clothes, and it was horrid.

"Boss.." a patrol officer called out, "Look." He held up the evidence bag, in it was three small empty bottles, the label a bit tattered but still legible, "Vodka."

"Fuck." He took the bag from him, "Still no sign of the driver?"

"No" he replied, "We've got multiple patrol units searching, they couldn't have gotten far, I imagine the driver is injured. There's no way they're not."

The senior officer ran his hand across his brow, "Based on witness accounts it's a white female, mid twenties early thirties. Still waiting on information on the VIN. Once we've got that it's just a matter of time. She can run..but she can't hide. Not forever. In the meantime check in with all of the local hospitals and urgent cares, she's gotta be hurt.

Voight took a deep breath, he knew he was about to pull the rug out from Adam and he wasn't looking forward to it. He knew just how much Adam loved the kid, he was willing to toss his career in the shitter for the kid, and Voight hated it. He had to respect it though, he couldn't say with a hundred percent certainty that he wouldn't have done the exact same thing if the roles had been reversed.

They had returned the district about an hour ago, Ruzek and Halstead both had headed for the showers.

Adam had just slipped the shirt over his head when Voight came in, "Don't tell me we gotta head back to that shit hole." Adam begged. He knew Voight was pissed, he feared something at the scene had been found or perhaps they had missed something and he was about to get his ass chewed out.

"Sarge" Adam rested his hands on his hips, "What's up?"

Hank looked at the floor briefly before looking back up at Adam, "There's been an accident, Adam.."

"Kim?" Adam blurted out, "No..."

Hank placed his hand on Adam's chest, "No. Not Kim. Deacon. It was an MVA. He's been transported to Med."

"My half-sister?"

"Don't know. Adam, the driver fled." Voight explained, "They found empty bottles of alcohol in the car."

"I will kill her! That fucking bitch, I will kill her!" Adam roared as he punched the locker.

"Calm down. Olinsky will take you to the hospital." Hank grabbed him by the shoulders, "You need to get Kim and go." They had been fortunate that House 51 had responded to the call, Deacon was recognized immediately.

Kim was near hysterics, her heart had dropped the second Adam spoke, she was trying to keep it together while she waited for him to pick her up. Both PJ and Alexa were sleeping peacefully and she had only just closed her eyes when the phone rang.

"Try and calm down, honey" Nicole rubbed her back as she stood in the doorway waiting for Adam to arrive.

"Calm down?" Kim scoffed, "My nephew has been in a car accident. I don't know if he's okay, my husband is ready to kill his half sister" she exploded, it was the first time she had referred to Mia as Adam's 'half sister' she had always referred to her as his sister. She had forged a friendship with her since Deacon had moved back in with her, she was pretty sure that had all been shot to shit now.

"I will tell you this.." Kim took a slow steady breath, "Adam will have to get in line behind me, I will kill her with my bare hands if Deacon isn't okay."

What the fuck had she done? What kind of monster was she? She abandoned those boys, her own son. She never looked back to see if they were okay, her first instinct was to save her own ass.

She wiped the blow from her brow and hobbled along as she did her best to not put weight on her injured leg, she had fucked everything up and there was no way out of this mess.

Adam raced inside the emergency room, "Hey! I need to see my nephew. He was just brought in my an ambulance."

The receptionist looked up at him, "Name?"

"Deacon." Adam pulled his badge out, "Where is he? I need to see him."

Kim finally caught up to him and placed her hand on his back, "Is he okay?" She rested her cheek against Adam's arm, "We need to see him. Now. We need to see him now."

"You can't. He's currently having a CT scan, as soon as that's finished you can go back and see him. Until then have a seat."

Kim bit her lip stifling the sob that raced from the pit of her stomach, she grabbed Adam's hand and led him to the row of uncomfortable chairs.

Adam had his face buried in his hands and her voice cut through him like nails on a chalk board, "What the fuck?" His head snapped up.

Mia came tearing through the automatic doors, "Where's my son? Someone tell me where my little boy is?" Her cheeks tear stained.

"Mia!" Kim charged after her, "You bitch! How could you!"

Adam grabbed a hold of his wife, "Kim.."

"No..no...no" Mia stuttered a bit, "I didn't. I left Deacon with Kate. I needed to go into work, they called me in. Kate said she'd keep Deacon. They were supposed to go the movies that to Kate's. I was going to pick Deacon up in the morning."

"Kate was three sheets, Mia." Adam explained, "She fled. The other driver died. The other car burst into flames..." he watched as Mia's knees buckled and he caught her. Her hands grabbing handfuls of his shirt, he held her tightly as she sobbed against his chest. "Shh...don't cry..."

For the first time in decades Adam held his little sister in his arms, his eyes filled with tears as her tears soaked his shirt. He wasn't sure how long they embraced for but it felt like an eternity, the voice of the doctor was what ultimately pulled them apart.

"My son? Is he okay?" Mia grabbed a hold of the doctor's arm, "please tell me my baby is okay." She had never felt fear so scared in her life. Deacon was her entire world, her reason for living. He was the one thing she had gotten right in life, he was her heart and her pride and joy. Despite all of her faults and mistakes, despite her past crimes he still loved her, he always saw the good in her, he had to be okay.

"He is." The doctor told them, "He's shaken up and will be sore in the morning, but he's okay, we did a CT scan of his head and neck to rule out a serious head and neck injury. His chief complaint was a headache and some neck pain, but all came back clear. No fractures, no intracranial bleeding. I'd like to admit him overnight for observation but it's just precautionary. Your son has a concussion and some bruising along his chest from the seatbelt. He's a lucky young man."

Kim finally felt herself take a breath, she grabbed Adam's hand and gave it a good squeeze, the fact that Adam still had hold of Mia's hand didn't go unnoticed.

"Can we see him?" Mia asked.

"Absolutely. He's already been moved to a room on the pediatrics floor, let's head on up."

Adam turned to Kim and pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her neck. He was overcome with emotion, he was struggling to hold it together. He had been unbelievably scared for Deacon and angry with Mia. His anger had been replaced with a fair bit of guilt. He was all too quick to play judge jury and executioner in regards to his half sister and her hand in the accident.

She had to sit down, she found a secluded spot off the beaten path and closed her eyes. The pain was beginning to fight its way through her drunken haze, she wanted to sleep and never wake up.

Kim and Adam both kissed Deacon as he drifted off to sleep and asked Mia to call them first thing in the morning to update them on how he felt. They were certain he'd be in pain for the next few days.

Kim hugged Mia, "Try and get some sleep."

She had a balled up tissue in her hand, "Not so sure sleep will be possible tonight. I really don't want to take my eyes off him."

"I know" Kim rubbed Deacon's foot, "We are lucky, so very lucky."

Braden hadn't been quite so lucky, he had suffered a serious chest injury and was currently in critical condition and in the PICU.

Adam embraced his sister once more, "Deacon's tough. I bet he's up and running first thing tomorrow morning." He pulled back, "You think once he's discharged..do you think maybe you and me..we could talk? Maybe grab dinner or something..just us?"

Kim covered her mouth with her hand, her husband would never cease to amaze her.

"I'd like that. I'd like it a lot." Mia hugged him, "Deacon would like that too."

 **NINE MONTHS LATER**

PJ did his best to pick the soccer ball up, his arms not quite big enough to accomplish the task, Deacon laughed hysterically when his cousin fell on his diapered bottom.

"Ball" PJ smacked at it, "Ball!"

"Yes, PJ. It's a ball. It's a soccer ball buddy. You're not supposed to touch it with your hands. Except for tenders they can use their hands. You wanna be a tender?"

"No he doesn't" Kim laughed, "My baby will not be jumping in front of balls, thank you very much"

"He should be a striker. Like me. We score all the goals PJ. That's the best position" Deacon explained. "Alexa too."

Kim smiled, "As long as you promise to teach them the game, they'd love it."

Deacon absolutely adored his cousins the feeling was mutual. The twins faces would light up whenever Deacon was near, they loved when he would get on the floor and play with them.

"We need to head home. It's getting late and you've got school in the morning, plus I'm sure your mom and Uncle Adam are waiting for us." Kim gathered up the kids toys and tossed them in the tote bag.

"Okay. Can we do this again next week? Maybe Mom and Uncle Adam can come with?"

"Of course, I know the twins will love it. Uncle Adam too." Kim tousled his hair, "Maybe Uncle Adam can take you for a hair cut, this hair is a mess. Just like Uncle Adam's."

Deacon laughed, "Nah, can't cut my flow." He smirked.

"We will see about that." Kim laughed.

In the nine months since the car accident a lot had changed.

The twins had turned one, Kim had thrown an _epic_ first birthday party, at least that was how Deacon had described it. She had to agree with him, it was pretty epic. The twins loved it and they were both spoiled with numerous gifts and thoroughly enjoyed being the center of attention, just like their daddy.

The biggest change though had been Adam and Mia's relationship, they had become as close as siblings should be. They made sure to get together at least once a month just the two of them, they'd grab a quick dinner and just catch up. They recently included Bob in the mix, a few weeks back he had suffered a heart attack, albeit a minor one. Which Bob was quick to point out that it was only a minor heart attack when it wasn't _your_ heart.

The twins had morphed into these adorable little people, Alexa had started walking and PJ wasn't far behind. They knew their life would never be the same once those two were up and running. They had to baby proof their entire house and yet the twins seemed to always be into something and making a mess wherever they went.

Kim was back at work but working at a desk, her hours were more traditional and it was the best decision she had ever made. She loved being home by five every day and having weekends off was the icing on the cake.

Deacon had suffered no ill effects from the car accident, sadly the same couldn't be said for Braden while he had recovered from his injuries his had been a rough recovery and he had lost his mother. The accident had been one of many DUIs Kate had to her name and she was currently serving a multi year prison term. Braden now lived with his dad on the west coast, his parents divorced just a few weeks after the accident.

Mia had unleashed on Kate when she visited her in the hospital, she had suffered a broken leg and a few facial lacerations. It had taken two hospital orderlies and a security guard to get Mia off of Kate.

It was an ugly beat down but well deserved.

Kim looked on as Deacon talked to the twins, she couldn't hear what was being said but she could hear the giggles from her babies and it warmed her heart.

Her heart was bursting with love, she had two perfect children, an amazing nephew and a husband whom she adored.

Life couldn't get any better, sure it could get chaotic and things never went as planned but she wouldn't change it for the world.


End file.
